PG TRB IMPORTANT BALLADS: PEACOCK VOL II UNIT 1 (PART 1)

 BALLADS: PEACOCK VOL II 

IMPORTANT BALLADS PART-1

CHEVY CHASE 

I

God prosper long our noble king,

Our lives and safeties all;

A woeful hunting once there did

In Chevy-Chace befall;

To drive the deer with hound and horn

Erle Percy took his way;

The child may rue that is unborn 

The hunting of that day.

The stout Erle of Northumberland

A vow to God did make, 

His pleasure in the Scottish woods

Three summer's days to take,

The chiefest harts in Chevy-Chace

To kill and bear away. 

These tydings to Erle Douglas came, 

In Scotland where he lay:

Who sent Erle Percy present word, 

He wold prevent his sport. 

The English Erle, not fearing that, 

Did to the woods resort

With fifteen hundred bow-men bord, 

Who knew full well in time of neede

All chosen men of might, 

To ayme their shafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran, 

To chase the fallow deere: 

On Monday they began to hunt, 

Ere daylight did appeare;

And long before high noone they had 

An hundred fat buckes slaine: 

Then having dined, the drovyers went

To rouse the deere againe.

The bow-men mustered on the hills, 

Well able to endure; 

Their backsides all with special care 

That day were guarded sure.

The hounds ran swiftly through the woods, 

The nimble deere to take, 

And with their cryes the hills and dales 

An echo shrill did make.

Lord Percy to the quarry went, 

To view the slaughtered deere: 

Quoth he, 'Erle Douglas promised This

day to meet me here,

'But if I thought he wold not come

No longer wold I stay.'

With that, a brave younge gentleman 

Thus to the Erle did say:

'Lo, yonder doth Erle Douglas come, 

His men in armour bright; 

Full twenty hundred Scottish speares

All marching in our sight;

'All men of pleasant Tivydale, 

Fast by the river Tweede': 

"O cease your sports,' Erle Percy said, 

And take your bowes with speede;

'And now with me, my countrymen, 

Your courage forth advance,

For there was never champion yet, 

In Scotland or in France,

"That ever did on horsebacke come, 

But if my hap it were, 

I durst encounter man for man, 

And with him break a speare."

II

Erle Douglas on his milke-white steede, 

Most like a baron bold, 

Rode foremost of his company, 

Whose armour shone like gold.

'Show me,' said he, 'whose men ye be, 

That hunt so boldly here,

That, without my consent, do chase

And kill my fallow-deere.'

The first man that did answer make, 

Was noble Percy he; 

Who sayd, 'We list not to declare, 

Nor shew whose men we be,

'Yet we will spend our dearest blood, 

Thy chiefest harts to slay.' 

Then Douglas swore a solemn oath,

And thus in rage did say:

'Ere thus I will out-braved be, 

One of us two shall dye: 

I know thee well, an erle thou art; 

Lord Percy, so am I.

'But trust me, Percy, pittye it were, 

And great offence to kill 

Any of these our guiltlesse men,

For they have done no ill.

"Let thou and I the battle trye,

And set our men aside.' 

'Accurst be he,' Erle Percy said,

'By whom this is denied.'

Then stept a gallant squier forth, 

Witherington was his name, 

Who said, 'I would not have it told 

To Henry our king for shame,

"That ere my captaine fought on foote, 

And I stood looking on. 

Ye be two erles,' said Witherington,

'And I a squier alone:

'Ile do the best that do I may, 

While I have power to stand: 

While I have power to wield my sword,

Ile fight with heart and hand.'

III

Our English archers bent their bowes, 

Their hearts were good and trew,

At the first flight of arrowes sent, 

Full fourscore Scots they slew. 

Yet bides Erle Douglas on the bent, 

As chieftain stout and good.

As valiant captain, all unmoved 

The shock he firmly stood.

His host he parted had in three, 

As leader ware and try'd, 

And soon his spearmen on their foes 

Bare down on every side.

Throughout the English archery 

They dealt full many a wound; 

But still our valiant Englishmen 

All firmly kept their ground,

And, throwing strait their bowes away. 

They grasped their swords so bright, 

And now sharp blows, a heavy shower, 

On shields and helmets light.

They closed full fast on every side, 

No slackness there was found; 

And many a gallant gentleman

Lay gasping on the ground.

O Christ! it was a griefe to see, 

And likewise for to hear, 

The cries of men lying in their gore, 

And scattered here and there!

At last these two stout erles did meet, 

Like captaines of great might: 

Like lions wode, they laid on lode, 

And made a cruel fight:

They fought untill they both did sweet 

With swords of tempered steel; 

Until the blood like drops of rain 

They trickling down did feele.

"Yield thee, Lord Percy,' Douglas said; 

'In faith I will thee bringe, 

Where thou shalt high advanced be

By James our Scottish king:

'Thy ransome I will freely give, 

And this report of thee, 

Thou art the most courageous knight, 

That ever I did see.'

'No, Douglas,' quoth Erle Percy then, 

'Thy proffer I do scorne; I will not yield to any Scot, 

That ever yet was borne.'

With that, there came an arrow keene 

Out of an English bow, 

Which struck Erle Douglas to the heart,

A deep and deadly blow:

Who never spake more words than these, 

'Fight on, my merry men all; 

For why, my life is at an end;

Lord Percy sees my fall.'

Then leaving life, Erle Percy tooke 

The dead man by the hand; 

And said, 'Erle Douglas, for thy life

Wold I had lost my land!

'O Christ! my very heart doth bleed 

With sorrow for thy sake, 

For sure, a more redoubted knight

Mischance could never take."

A knight amongst the Scots there was, 

Which saw Erle Douglas dye, 

Who straight in wrath did vow revenge 

Upon the Lord Percye.

Sir Hugh Mountgomery was he called 

Who, with a speare most bright, 

Well-mounted on a gallant steed,

Ran fiercely through the fight,

And past the English archers all, 

Without or dread or feare, 

And through Erle Percy's body then 

He thrust his hateful speare.

With such a vehement force and might 

He did his body gore, 

The staff ran through the other side 

A large cloth-yard, and more.

So thus did both these nobles dye, 

Whose courage none could staine! 

An English archer then perceived

The noble Erle was slaine:

He had a bow bent in his hand, 

Made of a trusty tree; 

An arrow of a cloth-yard long 

Up to the head drew he;

Against Sir Hugh Mountgomerye 

So right the shaft he set, 

The grey goose-winge that was thereon

In his heart's bloode was wet.

This fight did last from breake of day 

Till setting of the sun; 

For when they rung the evening-bell,

The battle scarce was done.

IV

With stout Erle Percy, there was slaine 

Sir John of Egerton, 

Sir Robert Ratcliff, and Sir John, 

Sir James, that bold barón; 

And with Sir George and stout Sir James, 

Both knights of good account, 

Good Sir Ralph Raby there was slaine, 

Whose prowesse did surmount. 

For Witherington needs must I wayle,

As one in doleful dumpes; 

For when his legs were smitten off, 

He fought upon his stumpes.

And with Erle Douglas, there was slaine 

Sir Hugh Mountgomerye, 

Sir Charles Murray, that from the field 

One foote would never flee; 

Sir Charles Murray, of Ratcliff, too, 

His sister's sonne was he; 

Sir David Lamb, so well esteemed, 

Yet saved he could not be; 

And the Lord Maxwell in like case Did with

Erle Douglas dye: 

Of twenty hundred Scottish speares, 

Scarce fifty-five did flye.

of fifteen hundred Englishmen, 

Went home but fifty-three: 

The rest were slaine in Chevy-Chace,

Under the greenewoode tree. 

Next day did many widdowes come, 

Their husbands to bewayle; 

They washt their wounds in brinish teares, 

But all wold not prevayle; 

Their bodyes, bathed in purple gore,

They bore with them away; 

They kist them dead a thousand times, 

Ere they were clad in clay.

V

The newes was brought to Eddenborrow, 

Where Scotland's king did raigne, 

That brave Erle Douglas suddenlye 

Was with an arrow slaine: 

'O heavy newes,' King James did say, 

'Scotland may witnesse be, 

I have not any captaine more Of such account as he.

"Like tydings to King Henry came; 

Within as short a space, 

That Percy of Northumberland 

Was slaine in Chevy-Chace:

'Now God be with him,' said our king, 

Sith it will no better be; 

I trust I have, within my realme, 

Five hundred as good as he:

'Yet shall not Scots nor Scotland say, 

But I will vengeance take: 

Ile be revenged on them all, 

For brave Erle Percy's sake."

This vow full well the king performed 

After, at Humbledowne; 

In one day, fifty knights were slayne, 

With lords of great renowne,

And of the rest, of small account, 

Did many thousands dye. 

Thus endeth the

hunting of Chevy-Chace, 

Made by the Erle Percye.

God save our king, and bless this land 

With plentye, joy, and peace, 

And grant henceforth that foule debate 

"Twixt noblemen may cease.

THE BATTLE OF OTTERBOURNE

It feel about the Lammas tide, 

When the muir-men win their hay, 

The doughty Douglas bound him to ride 

Into England, to drive a prey.

He chose the Gordons and the Graemes, 

With them the Lindesays, light and gay; 

But the Jardines wald not with him ride, 

And they rue it to this day. 

And he has burned the dales of Tyne,

 And part of Bambrough shire, 

And three good towers on Reidswire fells, 

He left them all on fire.

And he marched up to Newcastle,

 And rode it round about: 

'O wha's the lord of this castle? 

Or wha's the lady o't?'

But up spake proud Lord Percy then, 

And O but he spake hie! 

I am the lord of this castle, 

My wife's the lady gay.

'If thou'rt the lord of this castle, 

Sae weel it pleases me, 

For, ere I cross the Border fells, 

The tane of us shall die.'

He took a lang spear in his hand, 

Shod with the metal free,

And for to meet the Douglas there 

He rode right furiouslie.

But O how pale his lady looked, 

Frae aff the castle-wa, 

When down before the Scottish spear 

She saw proud Percy fa. 

'Had we twa been upon the green, 

And never an eye to see, 

I wad hae had you, flesh and fell; 

But your sword sall gae wi me.' 

'The Otterbourne's a bonnie burn; 

'Tis pleasant there to be;

But there is nought at Otterbourne 

To feed my men and me.

'The deer rins wild on hill and dale, 

The birds fly wild frae tree to tree; 

But there is neither bread nor kale 

To fend my men and me.

'Yet I will stay at Otterbourne,

Where you shall welcome be; 

And, if ye come not at three dayis end, 

A fause lord I'll ca thee.

'Thither will I come,' proud Percy said, 

"By the might of Our Ladye';

'There will I bide thee' said the Douglas, 

'My troth I plight to thee.'

They lighted high on Otterbourne, 

Upon the bent sae brown; 

They lighted high on Otterbourne, 

And threw their pallions down.

And he that had a bonnie boy 

Sent out his horse to grass; 

And he that had not a bonnie boy 

His ain servant he was. 

But up then spake a little page, 

Before the peep of dawn: 

'O waken ye, waken ye, my good lord, 

For Percy's hard at hand.' 

'Ye lie, ye lie, ye liar loud! 

Sae loud I hear ye lie: 

For Percy had not men yestreen 

To dight my men and me.

'But I have dreamed a dreary dream, 

Beyond the Isle of Skye; 

I saw a dead man win a fight, 

And I think that man was I.'

He belted on his guid braid sword, 

And to the field he ran, 

But he forgot the helmet good, 

That should have kept his brain.

When Percy with the Douglas met, 

I wat he was fu fain; 

They swakked their swords, till sair they swat, 

And the blood ran down like rain.

But Percy with his good broad sword, 

That could so sharply wound, 

has wounded Douglas on the brow, 

Till he fel to the ground.

Then he call'd on his little foot-page,

And said, Run speedilie, 

And fetch my ain dear sister's son, 

Sir Hugh Montgomery. 

'My nephew's good,' the Douglas said, 

'What recks the death of ane!

 Last night I dreamed a dreary dream, 

And I ken the day's thy ain. 

'My wound is deep; I fain would sleep; 

Take thou the vanguard of the three, 

And hide me by the braken-bush, 

That grows on yonder lilye lee.

'O bury me by the braken-bush, 

Beneath the blooming brier,

Let never a living mortal ken 

That ere a kindly Scot lies here.'

He lifted up that noble lord, 

Wi the saut tear in his ee;

He hid him in the braken-bush, 

That his merrie men might not see.

The moon was clear, the day drew near, 

The spears in flinders flew, 

But many a gallant Englishman 

Ere day the Scotsmen slew.

The Gordons good, in English blood

They steepd their hose and shoon; 

The Lindsays flew like fire about, 

Till all the fray was done.

The Percy and Montgomery met, 

That either of other were fain; 

They swapped swords, and they twa swat, 

And aye the blood ran down between. 

"Now yield thee, yield thee, Percy,' he said,

'Or else I vow I'll lay thee low!' 

"To whom must I yield,' quoth Earl Percy, 

"Now that I see it must be so?' 

'Thou shalt not yield to lord nor loun, 

Nor shalt thou yield to me; 

But yeild to the braken-bush, 

That grows upon yon lilye lee.'

'I will not yield to a braken-bush, 

Nor yet will I yield to a brier; 

But I would yield to Earl Douglas, 

Or Sir Hugh Montgomery, if he were here.' 

As soon as he knew it was Montgomery, 

He struck his sword's point in the gronde; 

The Montgomery was a courteous knight, 

And quickly took him by the honde. 

This deed was done at the Otterbourne,

About the breaking of the day; 

Earl Douglas was buried at thebraken-bush, 

And the Percy led captive away.